Motorcyclist badly injured in I-15 crash

ESCONDIDO  A 54year-old Fallbrook woman sustained major injuries Saturday when her motorcycle collided with a van that crossed over into her lane on Interstate 15, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The woman was part of a group of female motorcycle riders who were heading northbound on I-15 near El Norte Parkway when they encountered a white van that unexpectedly moved across several lanes into the area where they were riding, said CHP spokesman Chris Parent.

All but the injured rider were able to brake and avoid rear-ending the van, Parent said. As the vehicle moved toward the motorcyclists, the one woman's bike collided with the van and she was thrown to the pavement, Parent said.

The crash, which occurred at 10:45 a.m., caused compound fractures to her left leg extending into the pelvic area, as well as a break in her left arm, the CHP reported.

The driver of the van, a 28-year-old man from San Marcos, was arrested on a charge of being unlicensed, Parent said. A drug test revealed no evidence of drugs in his system but officers reported the driver appeared to be extremely fatigued, Parent added.

The two northbound lanes of Interstate 15 were closed for about an hour after the accident.